1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrowhead having removable blades which is useful for hunting and provides for the safe exchange of blades in the arrowhead body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hunting arrowheads having sharpened blades fixed in a blade-carrying body are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,006,901; 4,093,230; 4,175,749; and 4,203,601.
It is frequently desirable to replace knicked or otherwise damaged blades without replacing an entire arrowhead. Some prior attempts to provide arrowheads with removable blades have involved fitting the blades directly onto the forward end of the arrow shaft itself as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,723; others wherein the blades form the point of the arrowhead itself are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,542; other attempts have provided retaining rings which fit through holes in the blades as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,600; or slots in the blades as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,455.
Other attempts have involved retaining individual blades in slots of blade holding bodies as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,940,758; 4,036,449; and 4,210,330. The 2,940,758 patent teaches solid radially extending blades having rectangular lips extending forwardly and rearwardly at the bottom edge of both ends of the blade to be covered by a removable tip at the forward end and a cylindrical ferrule at the rearward end. The blades are retained in the slots by the hollow portion of the tip and the hollow portion of the cylindrical ferrule overlapping the extending rectangular lips of the blades. One disadvantage of the arrowhead taught by the U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,758 is weakness and failure of the blade at one of the extending lips allowing the blade to fall out or become displaced in the slot. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,499 teaches solid radially extending blades fitting within slots in a blade carrying body wherein the rearward end of the blade is tapered to fit the tapered front undercut of a rear ferrule and the forward end of the blade tapered to fit a rear tapered section of a removable tip, the blade tapers corresponding to and aligned with tapers on the front and rear of the blade carrying body. The tips of the blades do not extend beyond the blade carrying body at either end. The tip and blade carrying body are assembled with the blades in the slot and the rear ferrule is screwed into position, the tapered front undercut of the rear ferrule mating with the tapered rear end of the blade carrying body. One disadvantage of the arrowhead of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,499 is the precision necessary in all components to hold each blade in place without movement. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,330 teaches solid blades mounted in offset slots parallel to tangents to the shaft. The blades may be held in place by bending the front of the blade over the blade carrying body when the tip is tightened and at their rearward end by a deformable collar urged into notches in each blade by screwing the rear end of the blade carrying body into the front socket of an arrow shaft. A resilient locking washer may be placed between the deformable collar and the end of the arrow shaft permitting adjusting the blades with respect to the nock at the rear of the arrow shaft. One disadvantage of the arrowhead of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,330 is that when one or more blades are unequal in length because of dirt under the V-shaped groove at the base of the tip or due to the blade stamping operation itself, the head becomes canted as it is tightened onto the arrow shaft causing it to act as a rudder causing erratic arrow flight. Also, the deformable collar becomes further deformed upon shooting impacts and the blades become loosened.